A matter of heart and passion for Ukraine

It’s honor and a great deal of fun for us at the Embassy to be a part of this projects, to meet all these wonderful people who already are or are bound to be the face of Ukraine’s modern culture.

The bilateral culture year Ukraine-Austria is a matter of heart and passion for Ukraine. How many times did we say in the last years that there is no stronger soft power than culture? How often did we say that culture is the direct way to Austria’s (and not only Austria’s) heart? Well, here it is – our chance to walk this way, to practice this kind of diplomacy.

I would like to thank Austria’s Ministry for Europe, Integration and Foreign Affairs (especially deputy minister Teresa Indjein and her amazing team) for giving us this chance and for investing their best effort in preparing and conducting this year. I thank Ukrainian parliament for understanding (even in today’s difficult situation) the importance of the culture diplomacy and allocating necessary funds for it. I would like to thank all the great people in Austria’s small and big cities who took this project to their heart. I am confident: it will materialize not only in momentary excitement and standing ovations, but also in new contacts and in warm memories that will stick around.

Dakha Brakha and Dakh Daughters, Oksana Lyniv and Olga Bezsmertna, Lyudmyla Monastyrska and Andriy Bondarenko – the crème de la crème of Ukraine’s culture is among participants. But not only them. Young, future-oriented talents, the future shooting stars are on board too. It’s honor and a great deal of fun for us at the Embassy to be a part of this projects, to meet all these wonderful people who already are or are bound to be the face of Ukraine’s modern culture. Godspeed!